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1 Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation, Province de BoulemaneB.P. 47, 33250 Missour, Royaume du Maroc
2 ENV Toulouse, Chemin des Capelles, 31076 Toulouse cedex, France
3 Corresponding author (email: flacroixecwp{at}net.ma)
| ABSTRACT |
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| INTRODUCTION |
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Newcastle disease is caused by Newcastle disease virus (NDV; avian paramyxovirus-1), tentatively included in the genus Rubulavirus within the Paramyxoviridae (Van Regenmortel et al., 2000); NDV infection has been documented in many wild and migratory bird species (Kaleta and Baldauf, 1988; Takakuwa et al., 1998). Transmission occurs either directly (through contact with infected birds or pseudo-vertically through eggshell contamination) or indirectly (via respiratory aerosol, fecal contamination of food and water). Clinical signs are polymorphic, depending on the tropism and virulence of the virus strain, target species, and vaccinal immunity (Alexander, 2003). The most pathogenic pathotypes, referred to as "velogenic viscerotropic," are routinely isolated in Morocco (Bell, 1986; Bell and Mouahid, 1987; Facon, 2002). These strains are typically associated with hemorrhagic intestinal lesions. This classification should be considered with caution, however, as variation in clinical response can occur between viruses within the same pathotype (Alexander, 2000).
Although NDV vaccines are not specifically produced for houbara bustard, commercial vaccines are licensed in most countries for use in domestic chickens and turkeys. Prior to this study, NDV vaccination of bustards at the ECWP in Morocco was based on a live Hitchner B1 vaccine, administered biannually by nasal instillation. While both live Hitchner B1 and Clone 30 (derived from the strain La Sota) are innocuous when administered to poultry species, dramatic differences in their efficacy have been reported (Alexander, 2000).
Protection against an experimental challenge with NDV cannot be correlated with the serologic response to vaccination with live vaccines administered through mucosal (mostly intranasal) routes; protection against an intranasal challenge can occur in cases in which the serologic response is poor. In contrast, the immune response following a parenteral vaccination, using an inactivated vaccine, is mostly humoral and is highly protective against an intramuscular challenge (Alexander, 2003). In the same way, protection of the day-old chick is strictly conferred through maternally derived antibodies, and serologic monitoring of breeders provides a reliable indication of NDV immunity in day-old chicks (Meulemans, 1988).
Currently, different breeding centers for houbara bustards are not using uniform NDV vaccination protocols (Bailey et al., 2000). Since the extent of captive breeding of this species is expanding in North Africa and the Middle East, a rational assessment of vaccination against NDV is required. Here we report a comprehensive study of NDV vaccination strategies applied to houbara bustard breeders. Three vaccination schedules for ND were evaluated by serologic monitoring of both sera and egg yolks to assess the efficiency and safety of various types of vaccines (live and inactivated), vaccine strains (Hitchner B1 vs. Clone 30), and administration routes (intranasal and injection).
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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Houbara bustards (n=180) were divided into three groups of 60 birds, each consisting of an equal number of males and females. Males and females hatched in 2001 are designated as groups A and B, respectively (Table 1
). All of the bustards were hatched in 2001 and maintained in ECWP facilities; each bird was housed separately. In the same manner, 31 females hatched in 2000 and maintained in ECWP facilities were included in the study and comprised group C (Table 1
).
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Three vaccines were used, including a Hitchner B1 live vaccine (Hitchner B1 Nobilis®, Intervet, Boxmeer, The Netherlands) applied by nasal instillation after reconstitution in NaCl solution buffer; a Clone 30 live vaccine (Clone 30 Nobilis®, Intervet) applied by nasal instillation after reconstitution in NaCl solution buffer; and an inactivated Clone 30 water-in-oil adjuvanted vaccine (Newcavac Nobilis®, Intervet) injected subcutaneously (SC) at the dorsal base of the neck. These three vaccines are referred to as vaccine groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (Table 1
).
Vaccination schedules
All birds received two doses of vaccine at 1 and 2 mo of age using a double dose of Hitchner B1 vaccine. Females hatched in 2000 received a booster dose every 6 mo with the same vaccine. A booster vaccination was administered as follows: 1) The live Hitchner B1 vaccine was applied to vaccine group 1, consisting of 30 males (group A1), 30 females (group 1B) hatched in 2001, and 15 females hatched in 2000 (group C1); 2) The live Clone 30 vaccine was applied to vaccine group 2, consisting of 30 males (group A2) and 30 females (group B2) hatched in 2001; and 3) The inactivated vaccine was applied to vaccine group 3, consisting of 30 males (group A3), 30 females (group B3) hatched in 2001, and 16 females hatched in 2000 (group C3).
Clinical response to vaccination
Following vaccination, birds were monitored daily for 10 days for changes in behavior, food intake, and weight and were subjected to a complete clinical examination. The safety of live Clone 30 and inactivated vaccine had been previously determined in a trial on 18 bustards conducted before this study.
Blood sampling and serology
For collection of sera, birds were bled every 4 wk after booster vaccination for a period of 4 mo at week 9 (T1), week 13 (T2), week 17 (T3), and week 21 (T4), respectively. In addition, serum was collected from males at week 40 (T5) and week 49 (T6). Blood was collected into silicone tubes (evacuated blood collection tubes, Terumo Europe, Belgium), by venepuncture of the right brachial vein. Blood was allowed to clot at 4 C and was then centrifuged for 10 min at 1,000 x G. Sera were stored at 20 C and sent to the Laboratoire de Développement et dAnalyses des Côtes dArmor (LDA22) in France. Antibody titers to NDV were determined using the hemagglutination inhibition test (HI), which is conventionally used to detect and quantify NDV antibodies (Allan et al., 1978; Piela et al, 1984; OIE, 2000).
Collection of egg yolks and immunoglobulin Y purification
For all females, the first egg of the laying period was not inseminated and was devoted to extraction of immunoglobulin Y (IgY) and subsequent HI NDV assay. Immunoglobulin Y was purified using a commercial kit (Eggcellent Chicken IgY Purification Kit, Pierce, Rockford, Illinois, USA). Aliquots of purified proteins were frozen at 20 C and then sent to the LDA 22 for serology.
Statistical analysis
Data were analyzed using the Students independent t-test. Systat software (SPSS, Inc. Chicago, Illinois, USA) was used for all statistical calculations. Statistical significance was set to P=0.05.
| RESULTS |
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Because our experimental conditions did not allow the inclusion of a nonvaccinated group, results were analyzed in reference to the standard vaccination schedule routinely used in ECWP, using HB1 live vaccine (groups A1, B1, and C1, respectively). The serologic responses to the three vaccines were compared for male and female breeders born in 2001 and for both groups; responses to HB1 (vaccine groups A1 and B1) and Clone 30 (vaccine groups A2 and B2) were low and mostly equivalent (Figs. 1
, 2
). Antibody titers reached log2 5.5±2.8 for both A1 and B1 groups and log2 5.8±3.3 for combined A2 and B2 groups. In contrast, the inactivated vaccine induced a higher serologic response, with less variation in titer observed among individual birds; HI titers were elevated to log2 11.4±1.2 at T1 and were still high (log2 9.6±1.0) at T4 (Figs. 1
, 2
).
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| DISCUSSION |
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Using the inactivated vaccine, antibody titers were not only higher than with Hitchner B1 and Clone 30, but they remained fairly consistent through the laying period. In a previous study (Bailey et al., 1998a), a dose of 1.0 ml/kg was recommended for inactivated vaccine in male bustards. However, houbara bustards show a significant sexual dimorphism; males were 41% heavier than females in our experiment. In our trial, performed on 30 males and 30 females, no difference in HI response was detected between males and females after administration of the same dose of 0.5 ml. One can hypothesize that the antigen load is so high (greater than 50 units of protective dose50 for chicken) that no difference in HI response could be observed between males and females. These results indicate that the recommended dose of 0.5 ml inactivated vaccine per bird is sufficient for both male and female houbara bustard vaccination.
Because of the endangered status of houbara bustards, infectious challenges are not possible. The level of protection, therefore, represented a value extrapolated from data obtained from chickens, in which HI tests are routinely used to evaluate NDV vaccination results as an alternative to viral challenge (Allan et al., 1978). This assay (HI) is more accurate for assessment of field protection than are test results from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test kits (Alexander, 2003).
Hemagglutination inhibition titers in egg yolks were consistent with maternal antibody HI titers for all three vaccines, but higher antibody titers were detected in eggs from females immunized with the inactivated vaccine. The ratio between serum and egg yolk HI titers was also assessed and showed no significant differences between vaccines. The absorption of NDV antibodies from eggs to chicks is now well documented, and in gallinaceous birds, antibody titers of day-old chicks are equivalent to those of their hyperimmunized parents (Van Eck, 1990) and those resulting from parallel immunization of hens (Eidson et al., 1982). Yeo et al. (2003) demonstrated a good correlation between yolk- and chick-HI antibody titers, as well as between yolks and hens. Finally, absorption of maternal NDV antibodies from chicks of kori bustards (Ardeotis kori) has been reported (Bailey et al., 1998b).
Because initial NDV replication occurs in the respiratory and/or digestive tracts, one could theorize that vaccination should be focused on induction of mucosal immune response (Russel, 1993). However, maternal antibody transfer and subsequent protection of day-old chicks is a critical issue for NDV control. Furthermore, vaccination at day 1 is still possible in the presence of maternal antibodies, although interference may slightly reduce the immune response (Meulemans, 1988; Russel et al., 1995). If maternal antibody titers are high, passive protection is provided for at least the first 3 wk of life, and vaccination can occur after this period (Van Eck, 1990). In low-risk areas, protocols based on an initial vaccination at 34 wk after hatching are suitable if an inactivated vaccine is used for breeders.
In conclusion, our breeding flock of houbara bustards was effectively immunized against NDV by using an inactivated oil emulsion vaccine, injected SC, with a booster dose before each laying period. This vaccine protocol results in a higher level of NDV maternal antibodies in eggs and likely in day-old chicks. An effective NDV vaccine program and related biosecurity are essential components for NDV control and the subsequent success of houbara bustard breeding programs.
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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Received for publication 24 September 2004.
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